Chapter 172 - 172 Do You Understand?
172 Do You Understand?
Ji Zhao looked at him and could not help but tear up.
At this moment, tears kept falling like pearls with a broken string.
“Ah Tao, don’t cry!” Shen Yao hurriedly wiped her tears and hurriedly hugged her. He coaxed her softly and gently, “Ah Tao, be good. Don’t cry, okay?”
“Why did you leave without saying goodbye? And why are you here? Shen Yao, you owe me an explanation, a reasonable explanation.” After calming down, Ji Zhao slowly pushed him away. Her eyes were cold and her tone was deep.
“I’m temporarily staying at an inn nearby. Let’s go back to the inn first. Then, I’ll explain it to you slowly. Is that okay?” Shen Yao held her shoulder and lowered his head as he asked softly.
Leshui Inn.
Shen Yao poured a cup of hot tea and handed it to her. He said with a gentle gaze, “Ah Tao, have some tea first?”
“I don’t want to drink.” Ji Zhao shook her head. “I just heard some news. I was very worried about you, Shen Yao.”
“Aren’t I fine now?” Shen Yao sat opposite her and comforted her gently. “Ah Tao, don’t worry.”
“Are you angry with me?” Ji Zhao could not help but ask. “I wanted to find Immortal Crane to cure your leg, so I went to Qin Minghong for help. You must be very angry, right?”
“I’m indeed angry.” Shen Yao nodded frankly. “But I’m not angry at you. I’m angry at myself.”
“Angry at yourself?” Ji Zhao raised her eyebrows in confusion. “Why do you say that?”
“Ah Tao, do you still remember? You once asked me if I had ever thought of picking up my textbooks again, continuing to study hard, and trying the imperial examination again.” Shen Yao slowly curled his lips, but there was a hint of self-mockery in his tone. “At that time, I said that the imperial examination was not the only choice in life.”
“But now, it’s proven that my thoughts are wrong.” Shen Yao silently held his forehead and sighed softly. “Is studying hard for decades just for fame and fortune? But that’s not the original intention of studying at all!”
“The original intention of studying should be to seek justice for the people and serve the Imperial Court!” Although Shen Yao’s voice was very soft, Ji Zhao could hear the power in it.
“Actually, I received a letter from the Old Master half a month ago. It’s just that I’ve never dared to face it.” Shen Yao thought for a moment and carefully took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to her. “This is the letter that the Old Master sent me previously.”
Curious, Ji Zhao opened the letter.
When she finished reading the contents of the letter, she was extremely shocked.
“Shen Yao, your leg injury wasn’t an accident? It was caused by someone? But why did that person harm you? What’s the benefit of doing this?”
“He replaced my test results and successfully got the honor roll.” Shen Yao closed his eyes weakly and sighed softly. “Back then, he was my most trusted friend, but in the end, he deliberately got someone to push a huge rock down the mountain!”
Shen Yao was in extreme pain when he recalled that day!
Ever since he was young, he had dreamed of serving the imperial court. With the support and encouragement of his family, he came to Thunder Mountin County and successfully stayed in Old Master Fan’s private school to study. He studied hard for ten years, from the age of seven to the age of seventeen!
He had no obstacles along the way.
From a child to Elementary Scholar, just as he was full of confidence that he could pass, an accident happened. On the way back to his hometown, he was hit in the left leg by a huge rock on the mountain. What made him even more disheartened was that he failed.
“During that period of time, Father, Mother, Eldest Brother, and Second Brother visited all the famous doctors, but in the end, they could not treat my leg. In order to treat my injured leg, my family exhausted their money. Eldest Sister-in-law and Second Sister-in-law even sold their dowry… Ah Tao, actually, I once gave up on myself. I hated the heavens for being unfair! I hated myself even more for dragging my family down.”
Shen Yao smiled bitterly and said, “After that… I threatened them with my life and finally made Father and Mother give up. They said that as long as I could live well, it was enough.”
“My body, hair, and skin belong to my parents! And I had to threaten them by hurting myself. I know I’m stupid, but I really had no choic…”
“It’s all in the past.” Sensing his pain, Ji Zhao quickly held his hand and comforted him gently. “Shen Yao, all that pain is in the past.”
“No.” Shen Yao shook his head. “If I didn’t receive this letter, I would continue to numb myself and make myself think that that painful memory is already in the past. But I received this letter.”
“Actually, I came to Thunder Mountain County for two reasons. Firstly, I want to ask the Old master in person. I want to ask him if he knows what happened back then? And what role he is playing in the whole thing? Secondly, I want to find something.”
“What?”
“Actually, on the day Ji Huai came to cause trouble, I went to see him again,” Shen Yao said honestly. “I wanted to find a small jade locket you wore since you were young. Your name was engraved on it. Ji Huai said that he took the jade locket to the pawnshop and pawned it. I went to the pawnshop again. The pawnshop said that the jade locket was bought by a wealthy businessman surnamed Jia from Thunder Mountain County, so I came.”
“Why didn’t you bring me along?” Ji Zhao looked into his eyes and questioned with a sharp gaze. “We’ve clearly told each other our intentions. Don’t you trust me?”
“I just wanted to give you a surprise,” Shen Yao said with a bitter smile. “But obviously, I overestimated my ability. Not only did I not give you a surprise, I almost gave you a shock.”
“Ah Tao, I’m sorry.” Shen Yao carefully grabbed her hand as if he had obtained a treasure. His gaze on her was filled with gentleness. “Can you forgive me?”
“No.” Ji Zhao resolutely took back the hands he held and said coldly, “I think we all need to calm down.”
“Shen Yao, do you know what’s most important when two people are together?”
“Is it like? Or trust?”
“Neither.” Ji Zhao shook her head and looked into his eyes. “When two people are together, the most important thing is communication. If it were me, what would you do if I left without saying goodbye? We just confirmed our feelings for each other, but you have such a big secret in your heart. You would rather solve it alone than discuss it with me.
“If the two of us are together and are unwilling to communicate with each other, do you think we can continue to be together for a long time? Whether we like each other or trust each other, the prerequisite is that we have to communicate with each other and understand each other’s feelings. Only then can we manage this relationship steadily in the long term. Do you understand?”